


Something New

by EmeraldSands



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: (both emotional and physical further down the line), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ash is probably demi, Drew is hella bi, Getting to Know Each Other, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, also they're both trans because I'm trans and I do what I want, mentions of past Drew/Gary, mentions of past Drew/May, mostly canon compliant up until post-XY, rated for swearing and that's pretty much it, teenagers being teenagers, though I honestly haven't been caught up since DP
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:53:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24278422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldSands/pseuds/EmeraldSands
Summary: Five years after they last saw each other, Ash and Drew cross paths again in Alola. Though they were never really friends, that doesn't mean they can't be--after all, they have more in common than they realize, and plenty to learn from and about each other.
Relationships: Satoshi | Ash Ketchum/Shuu | Drew
Comments: 10
Kudos: 39





	1. We Meet Again

**Author's Note:**

> This has been years in the making and in all honesty, beginning to put it out here excites me as much as it terrifies me (which is a lot). The initial draft was completed months ago, so I know how the plot is going to go and everything--it's mostly a matter of making everything presentable at this point. I make no promises on how long that'll take, as I'm a slow and notoriously distractable writer, but I'd like to have it 100% finished before the year is out.
> 
> And some clarification on how this fic diverges from canon: it was planned/started way back in mid-2017, at which point most of the Sun and Moon anime hadn't happened yet (and regardless, I wasn't following it and still haven't seen it). This fic does end up taking a few little cues from the Sun and Moon anime, but does its own thing 95% of the time. Characters and locations are instead portrayed based on the games. Additionally, characters age here, and Drew's Roselia never evolved into Roserade.
> 
> Thanks for reading my ramblings (I promise I won't usually have notes this long), and without further ado, here it is!

Of all the new sights in Alola, Ash wasn't expecting to see the person who sat on Hau'Oli Beach, overlooking the water, a roselia at his side.

Ash ran to greet him, hoping Pikachu and the rockruff they'd recently befriended were keeping up. "Drew, is that you? Hey!"

Even donning a pair of dark sunglasses, he was unmistakable up close--he looked about the same as Ash remembered him, right down to the outfit; he must've really been committed to that aesthetic to be dressing the same way five years later. Upon noticing Ash, he let out a small sigh of resignation. "It starts."

Drew stood, and Ash noticed that Drew was several inches shorter than he was. "If you're after an autograph, you'd better have a pen on you because I don't."

"Oh, I'm not a fan," Ash said. He saw Drew frown--in confusion or annoyance or what, he couldn't tell. "Wait, that came out wrong. I mean I'm a friend. You don't recognize me?"

Drew pushed his sunglasses up to the top of his head, blinking as his eyes readjusted to the bright sunlight, and studied Ash. "Not gonna lie, I have no idea who you are. Name?"

"I'm Ash." Did Drew really not know who he was? Maybe the mention of Drew's old rival would help. "I used to travel with May, back in Hoenn and Kanto, remember?"

Sure enough, recognition sparked in Drew's eyes. "Oh, _that_ Ash. It's been a while." He looked Ash up and down. "You've gotten taller."

"You haven't," Ash said. Drew's eyes narrowed. "Hey, easy, I'm kidding. Sorry. Anyway, how have you been? How's May? Is she here too? What're you doing in Alola? Contests aren't a thing here," he added the last part with a note of confusion. He was pretty sure contests weren't a thing here, but Drew's presence made him doubt it.

Drew closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm well aware that contests aren't 'a thing' here, as you so eloquently put it. If you must know, I won a grand festival in Johto, competed in the Sinnoh contest circuit, and now I'm taking a break from coordinating." He paused and his expression softened. "May's not here, but last I heard she was doing well."

"Taking a break?" Drew, who had always seemed relentlessly ambitious and driven, was vacationing in Alola? "That doesn't sound much like you."

"A lot can change in five years," Drew remarked coolly. As Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder, Drew added, "Though I see your pikachu hasn't."

"Neither has your roselia," Ash said. "I guess we've got that in common. And what're the odds that we'd both end up right here at the same time?" A brilliant idea struck him. "We should explore Alola together! It's gotta be fate, us running into each other again after so long."

Drew frowned. "I don't travel with other people." Rockruff was pawing at Drew's leg to get his attention, but he didn't seem to notice.

"The Drew I knew didn't take vacations either, but here you are," Ash pointed out. "Maybe it's time for another change."

"Hard pass." Drew looked down at his partner. "Let's go, Roselia. We have places to be." He turned his back on Ash and started toward the city, Roselia following closely.

"Well, see you around," Ash said. Then, to Pikachu, "What is up with him?"

* * *

Drew had managed to avoid Ash and his questions for the rest of the day, but even as night fell and he retired to his motel room he couldn't shake the thought of what had happened. As he went to his bed and sprawled ungracefully on his back, hands behind his head, his mind was still racing. Between this and the jet lag he was still feeling, he figured sleep would be a long time coming; if it came down to it, he might have Butterfree knock him out with sleep powder again.

He never would've expected to run into one of May's old friends in Alola of all places. Maybe that was why he hadn't recognized Ash at first--well, that and the fact that (no matter what Ash said) they had both grown since they last saw each other; Ash was taller and tanner, leaner with broader shoulders. Drew almost envied him--he himself had never quite grown into his height. ( _You'll fill out once you hit puberty,_ people would sometimes try to assure him. _I'm sixteen,_ he would reply.)

"Rose?"

"I'm fine, Roselia," he assured his partner. "Say, do you think I should've taken Ash up on his offer?"

Roselia didn't answer. So this was his problem to solve. He groaned, moving a hand to cover his eyes.

He had always traveled alone in the past--apart from Roselia and the rest of his team--and didn't have plans to change that. But he hadn't planned to see Ash again either.

And he had come to Alola because he needed to make some changes. His recent run through the Sinnoh contest circuit had been the worst of his entire career--he was burned out, and he needed time off to try something new and find the spark he once had again. Was Ash the way to do that?

Drew doubted it. If he wanted to keep his head down and avoid media attention, hanging around with someone who did so much shouting would be a bad move. And all he knew Ash as was May's loud and cheerful friend who had, when Drew was like eleven, made him realize he might like boys too--not that that meant anything now. The two of them weren't even friends.

Still, something needed to change.

"This isn't accomplishing anything." Drew recalled Roselia with a sigh, reaching for the poké ball that held his butterfree and giving it a careless toss.

"Free?" Butterfree looked at his trainer with concern.

"Can't sleep," Drew said. "You know the drill."


	2. Friends and Foes

Ash was wandering the city streets, looking for a place to get breakfast, when he spotted Drew through a café window. Another opportunity to talk to him--hopefully it'd go more smoothly this time.

The aroma of coffee and pastries nearly stopped Ash in his tracks when he walked in; no wonder Drew was hanging out here. He went to the counter and studied the menu for a few moments, eventually ordering two cinnamon buns--one for himself and one for Pikachu--and a Tapu cocoa. Once he had that, he went to the table where Drew was seated and took the empty seat across from his.

Drew was focused on a crossword puzzle, pen in hand and tongue sticking out a little in concentration, and either didn't notice Ash or was hoping he'd go away if he was ignored long enough.

"I thought you didn't have a pen."

Drew started at the sound of Ash's voice and dropped his pen, cursing under his breath when it clattered onto the floor. The first one, then. "Don't you have anything better to do than follow me around?"

"I'm not. I came here for breakfast and wanted to talk to you while we were here." While Drew was fumbling for his pen, Ash looked at the crossword. "By the way, four across is 'Juniper'."

Drew wrote it down. "What do you want?"

"Nothing. Like I said, I just wanted to talk." Ash took a bite of his cinnamon bun, choosing to ignore Drew's judgmental frown. "You said yesterday that you'd won a grand festival, right? That's awesome! I was runner-up at the Lumiose Conference not long ago! I bet we could learn a lot from each other."

Drew raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Really," Ash said. "I know you're good, I saw that way back in Hoenn and Kanto. I know I'm good too--and don't give me that look, I haven't forgotten about your ego either."

Drew huffed, but didn't argue. There were shadows under his eyes Ash hadn't noticed before.

"You look tired."

"Aren't you an observant one," Drew said dryly. "Jet lag. You know how it is."

"I hear you." Ash reached across the table to put a hand on Drew's shoulder. "Well, you've got a friend here if there's anything I can do to help."

Drew placed his hand on top of Ash's and moved it off his shoulder. "Firstly, don't touch me," he said. "Secondly, we're not friends."

Ouch. "We can be," Ash pointed out. "We didn't talk much before, but I've always wanted to get to know you better."

Drew rested his head on the table, arms shielding his face. "That's not gonna happen."

Ash blinked at him. "Why are you being like this?"

Drew muttered something Ash couldn't make out.

"I don't know what you just said," Ash said, "but you were sitting alone in a café with a crossword puzzle. Only lonely people do that, Drew."

"Untrue," Drew replied without looking up.

"So you _are_ listening to me. Anyway, you don't have to act so cool and independent all the time. It's okay to get help from other people sometimes."

Drew didn't respond to that, and Ash realized he was snoring softly. For a second Ash was too caught in the surprise of learning that Drew snored--he didn't seem like the type, he usually acted so perfect--to do anything about the situation. Then he snapped out of it and gently shook Drew's shoulder.

"Huh?" He lifted his head, blinking, then his eyes narrowed at the sight of Ash. "You're still here."

"I didn't know you snored," Ash said.

"What? No, I don't."

"Yeah, you do," Ash argued. "I heard you when you dozed off just now."

Drew huffed. "Whatever."

"Speaking of that," Ash said, "there are probably better places for a nap than this. Are you staying somewhere?"

"That's none of your business."

Why was he being so difficult? "Come on, at least let me walk you to your room. You shouldn't be wandering around town alone if you're this worn out."

Drew raised an eyebrow. "You're really stubborn, you know that?"

"So are you," Ash pointed out. "Just let me do this one thing for you and then I'll get off your case. Deal?"

"Sure." Drew rose to his feet, picking up his things and politely yawning into his hand. He went to the counter to drop a couple bills in the tip jar and Ash did the same.

"Are you staying at the pokémon center?" Ash asked as they stepped out.

Drew shook his head. "A motel in a quieter part of town. I guess I'll lead the way."

"Lead on, then."

"I still don't see why you insist on doing this," Drew said as they started walking again. "I'm fine. Besides, we're not even really friends."

"You know, Drew, I have a feeling you're not completely fine." Ash chose to ignore Drew restating that they weren't friends--why he kept saying that was beyond Ash.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You don't seem right," Ash said. "You can call me unobservant all you want, but I can tell something's up with you."

Drew looked surprised for a second, then his expression went back to cool indifference. "Do you always make everyone's business your business?"

"Not _always_ …"

"May's told me about your adventures, you know." Drew rounded a corner and Ash did the same. "You guys sure got into a lot of trouble."

Ash couldn't deny that. "Sure, that's one way to look at it, but I'd say we've had a lot of fun and excitement too--right, Pikachu?"

"Pika, pika!" Pikachu agreed.

"And you didn't seem to mind getting caught up in our adventures either," Ash reminded him.

"Of course I wanted in on the action when I was a kid, but now--"

"You're still a kid," Ash pointed out. "You're what, sixteen? That's still young."

Drew grumbled something Ash didn't catch and started walking faster.

* * *

Drew stood where Ash had left him, directly outside the motel, and watched Ash go. Then he turned and walked in the opposite direction. Halfway here he'd remembered he had already checked out--how something like that slipped his mind, he didn't know--but he wasn't about to tell Ash that. Besides, he didn't think he'd be able to sleep again anyway.

The sun really did shine in Alola--Roselia would enjoy it. He stopped to let out his partner, who looked at him with obvious concern. "Rose?"

"I'm fine." At least the caffeine he'd had earlier was finally kicking in. "Let's get out of here. I hear Melemele Meadow is gorgeous this time of year, you interested in checking that out?"

"Roseli!"

"Great." It felt nice to have a destination and a goal, even if it was just sightseeing. The two headed north, and Drew couldn't help wondering if he would run into Ash again.

But instead somebody ran into him. Too caught off guard to keep his balance, he took a rough tumble and heard Roselia cry out in alarm. Sitting up, he rubbed the back of his head--that _hurt_ \--and blinked up at whoever had caused the collision. If it was Ash again--

"Yo, watch where you're going, pretty boy!" It wasn't Ash. Two guys who might've been close to his age, both in a tacky skull-themed getup, were leering at him.

"Pretty boy?" Drew rolled his eyes. "How original. Never heard that one before."

Thug One looked to his companion. "This guy looks rich and he's giving us attitude. We should make him pay."

"I heard that," Drew said. These two couldn't be serious if they were talking about mugging him to his face, could they? He stood and dusted himself off, doing his best to look unruffled by the implied threat, but casting a quick glance over his shoulder. Where was Ash now, when backup would be helpful?

Thug Two took out a poké ball. "Enough talk! You're in Team Skull territory and you're gonna pay! Go, Salandit!"

Thug One took that as his cue to throw a poké ball himself. "Zubat, bring 'em down!"

An black reptilian pokémon Drew hadn't seen before and a far more familiar bat pokémon appeared.

"So a battle's all you want? That I'll be happy to oblige." Drew had been itching for a good battle, and Roselia didn't need to be told to come forward. He reached for Cherrim's poké ball--his youngest team member would shine in this bright sunlight.

"That's enough." Another voice got everyone's attention. An older man was approaching, the cheerful yellow of his floral print shirt greatly contrasting against his stern expression.

The two thugs took that as their cue to recall their pokémon and make a run for it.

The man shook his head. "Seems those troublemakers are at it again. They sure have gotten bolder lately. Are you all right?"

Drew nodded. "I'm fine." He was almost disappointed he didn't get to try putting up a fight--he had a feeling he could've taken them.

"Good to hear it." The man smiled, and it looked like he did that a lot. "I'm Hala. I'm the kahuna responsible for looking after things here, so let me know if you come across any more trouble--or if you find yourself in need of a meal or a place to sleep. My home's in Iki Town and my doors are always open to young travelers, wherever they come from."

"Will do." Drew doubted he actually would--if Hala said that often, no doubt he had a lot to deal with already. Drew could handle himself. "I'd best be on my way now."

Hala chuckled good-naturedly. "You youngsters are always in a rush. Take care--and remember, it's good to slow down every once in a while."

"Noted." Drew went on his way again, hands slipping comfortably into his pockets.

Soon buildings and pavement gave way to grass and trees. Surrounded again by nature, Alola's summer weather warming him the same way as Hoenn's, he was reminded of when he'd first left LaRousse at ten years old with Roselia at his side and a fire in his heart. He had been captivated by every new sight, and when the sun had set, he and Roselia had marveled at how many stars they could see away from the city lights--despite how tired they had been, Drew remembered spending a long time just looking up at those stars.

Perhaps tonight, he and Roselia could watch the stars once more. It'd be nice to feel like a kid again.

* * *

Ash wanted to see if Rockruff could get the hang of rock throw before they faced the first trial, but as they trained, his thoughts kept drifting back to Drew. What had gotten into him?

Something about leaving him hadn't felt right, but there wasn't much else Ash could do. He had escorted Drew to the motel, hopefully to get some rest, and Drew clearly didn't want him around longer than that.

"Ruff?" Rockruff had picked up on Ash's distraction and was looking at him curiously.

"I'm fine, Rockruff," Ash assured his pokémon. "Just thinking about something." He shook his head to dismiss those thoughts. Drew could take care of himself--strange as he'd been acting, there was no need to worry about him. "Maybe we should take a break."

Rockruff nodded in understanding, then caught a glimpse of her wagging tail and set about chasing it. Ash smiled to himself as he watched her; he was lucky to have met such an energetic new friend at the start of his Alola journey.

Pikachu's ears twitched and he looked around.

"What's up, little buddy?" Ash asked. "You hear something?"

A young man with pink hair, brown skin, and pretty features approached. "My apologies if I startled you," he said. "I heard the unmistakable sound of a training session and had to investigate. Judging by your Z-ring, I take it you're a trial-goer?"

"That's right," Ash confirmed. "I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, and this is my good buddy, Pikachu." Ash motioned to Pikachu, who chirped his own greeting.

"Pallet Town? That sure is a long way from here," he said. "I'm Ilima. I'm a friend to the totem pokémon of Melemele Island, and I could escort you to his lair if you'd like. A group calling themselves Team Skull have been causing trouble around here, so you would be safer traveling with some company."

Ash would have to tell Drew about that the next time he got the chance. Hopefully Drew wouldn't run into them in the meantime. "That'd be great! We go north from here, right?"

"Correct," Ilima said with a warm smile, turning to lead the way. Ash recalled Rockruff and followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is. So dialogue heavy for its length. But hey! We're slowly but surely setting things up! In the next few chapters things should start to pick up, so bear with me. Also let me know if you find any glaring formatting errors I might've missed.


	3. Progress is Made

Totem Raticate was bigger and tougher than any raticate Ash had ever met, but it wasn't nearly as agile as Rockruff. She was having a great time darting around her larger opponent, delivering one bite attack after another and leaping out of the way when it tried to retaliate, and the raticate was tiring fast. The battle would be over soon.

"Alright, let's finish it with rock throw!" Ash's voice rang out in the cavern.

With a fierce bark, the little puppy fired a barrage of stones at her opponent and it went down. The battle was over.

"Great job, Rockruff!" Ash praised his pokémon, who barked cheerfully in response, her tail wagging. "Let's go tell Ilima the good news."

They headed out in good spirits and found Ilima waiting just outside. "Congratulations on your victory." He pulled a rhombus-shaped crystal out of his pocket and held it out to Ash. "Totem Raticate would like for you to have this normalium Z. If you perform these poses in battle--" he demonstrated "--your pokémon's normal-type attack is transformed into a powerful attack called breakneck blitz that cannot be evaded or shielded from."

"That's really cool!" Ash accepted the crystal and fitted it onto his Z-ring. "Thanks, Ilima."

Ilima blushed faintly. "My pleasure. Good luck on the rest of your island challenge."

"Maybe you and me could have a battle the next time we meet?" Ash offered.

Ilima seemed to be struggling to regain his earlier calm and composed demeanor. "I'd like that very much, Ash."

Rockruff had her nose to the ground like she'd noticed some scent that interested her. She suddenly lifted her head and took off running with a flurry of barks.

"Rockruff, hey! Wait up!" Ash took off after her, giving Ilima an apologetic wave. "See you around!"

* * *

Drew breathed in the comforting scent of flowers and felt some of the tension leave his shoulders. Just looking across the meadow, its flowers a cheerful yellow, brightened his mood. He hadn't realized how much he needed this. Roselia trilled appreciatively beside him.

They weren't the only ones enjoying it--cutiefly and oricorio, pokémon Drew had never seen in person before, flitted about without a care in the world, occasionally landing on his head or shoulder only to fly away when they realized he wasn't a plant. (That kind of thing happened to him a lot; he was well past the point of minding.)

This was nice. He was reminded of an afternoon back in Johto, in a flower field with May, when he'd fallen asleep and woken to find her giggling about something she refused to explain. He hadn't found out what until he'd caught sight of his reflection that night and seen the flowers in his hair--too many of them for it to have happened by accident. He still couldn't believe everyone had let him go around like that without a word.

Good times.

"Ruff-ruff!" The sound of excited barking jerked Drew out of his reverie as a small canine pokémon--a rockruff, he was almost certain--ran up to him. It stopped at his feet and looked up at him expectantly, wagging its fluffy tail until he gave in and knelt to pet it. The fur was short and coarse on most of its body, he found, and the collar-like ruff around its neck was rough and hard as stone. He'd never seen anything like it--it was strange, but adorable and kind of fascinating.

"Rockruff! Where'd you go?" That couldn't be Ash's voice. After Drew had done such a fine job of avoiding him, that would just be unfair.

Sure enough, Ash came running up to them. Great. Drew just couldn't shake the guy--it was as if the universe itself were conspiring against his valiant attempt at experiencing peace and quiet.

"There you are." Ash sounded breathless. How far had he run to get here?

Rockruff rubbed its neck against Drew in a painful display of affection, then licked his cheek and scampered to its trainer. Ash knelt to look it in the eyes, expression serious. "You shouldn't run off like that," he gently scolded his puppy. "Who knows what you could've gotten yourself into? We're lucky Drew found you instead of something worse." Finished with his lecture, he looked at Drew. "Hi, Drew."

"Hello, Ash," Drew responded curtly. "Can't you even keep your pokémon from taking off?"

"They don't usually do that," Ash said, unruffled by the taunt. Disappointing. "I guess she was excited after winning that battle against Totem Raticate, and then some scent caught her attention and she couldn't resist going after it."

Apparently realizing she wasn't in trouble, Rockruff approached Roselia with a friendly bark. Roselia trilled a response.

"Rockruff sure likes you and your roselia," Ash observed.

Drew could tell where this was going. "Let me guess--you're about to suggest that we travel together?"

"I wasn't," Ash said, flashing a grin, "but it's a good idea."

It would've been so easy to say no, get up, and walk away. Yet Drew didn't. Wiping the rockruff drool off his cheek with his sleeve, he glanced to Rockruff and Roselia, and then at Ash. Maybe Ash was trouble and chaos, but maybe a little trouble and chaos could be what Drew needed. "Sure."

"I underst--" Ash broke off, his eyes widening with surprise. "Wait, really? You mean it?"

Drew shrugged. "Might as well. For once I have nothing better to do."

"Well, that's not the enthusiasm I was hoping for," Ash said with a slight pout, before breaking into a grin once more, "but it's a start. You won't regret this, Drew. It'll be fun, you'll see."

Hopefully Ash was right, but counting on Ash being right was probably a sign in and of itself that Drew should be worried.

"Hey, Drew, there's something in your hair. Don't move." Before Drew could protest, Ash's hands were in his hair, entirely too close for comfort. When he finally moved, a small yellow puff rested in his cupped hands. "A pokémon?"

"A cutiefly, to be exact." Drew set about fixing what Ash had done while fixing him with a glare. "Don't do that again. You don't get to touch my hair."

Ash might have been too preoccupied with the pokémon in his hand to hear that. He took out a pokédex and scanned it.

_"Cutiefly, the bee fly pokémon. A bug-and-fairy-type pokémon. Myriads of cutiefly flutter above the heads of people who have auras resembling those of flowers."_

Ash looked at Drew, and both looked up at the surprising number of cutiefly circling above his head. "You look like a flower to these guys?"

Heat rose to Drew's face. He'd heard enough plant jokes in sixteen years to last a lifetime and they were neither clever nor funny, but apparently they were onto something. "I suppose so."

"That's awesome," Ash said earnestly. "Bug pokémon must be drawn to you a lot."

That reaction was unexpected, but Drew definitely didn't mind. For the first time in what felt like ages, he felt a real smile playing across his face. "Come to think of it, yeah, I'd say they are."

Ash looked impressed. "That's awesome."

"You've said that already."

Ash didn't seem to care. "Hey, d'you think this little guy's okay? He hasn't moved."

"Maybe it just likes you," Drew said. "Makes one of us."

Pikachu's cheeks sparked--an obvious warning. Ash seemed unfazed. "You can say you don't like me, but you haven't walked away yet."

Drew didn't have a retort for that. The only defense he had was walking away, but he found that he didn't want to. 

The cutiefly buzzed cheerfully, confirming that it was fine, and possibly trying to prevent a fight--fairy-types could be incredibly empathetic, Drew had heard, even if this one couldn't tell him apart from a flower.

"Oh, I get it!" Ash said. "You want to come with us?"

The cutiefly did a quick circle around Ash's head and buzzed what sounded like an affirmative. Ash held out a poké ball and the tiny bug-type headbutted it, vanishing inside. The ball emitted a soft ding, confirming a successful capture, and Ash smiled warmly at it. "Welcome aboard, Cutiefly."

That was… an exceptionally simple capture. Drew was impressed, but he wasn't about to _tell Ash_ that. "Alright. Let's head for the nearest pokémon center, shall we?"

He stood, taking another look over the meadow before he turned around and started walking again. Ash soon fell into step beside him. "So, Drew, do you like it in Alola?"

"I guess," Drew answered. "The climate's definitely more comfortable than Sinnoh was."

"Sinnoh is pretty chilly," Ash said. "I guess you're more used to the tropics, huh?"

Drew had forgotten Ash went to Sinnoh at around the time he and his rivals had gone to Johto. The guy really had been places--but then, so had Drew. "You could say that."

"Alola's a nice place," Ash said, grinning up at a flock of pikipek as they flew overhead. He met Drew's eyes. "It's gonna be fun exploring it with an old friend."

"We are not friends," Drew reminded him.

Ash gave Drew a curious look, then shrugged. "If you say so."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the boys are officially Hanging Out Together! This is where the real relationship development starts--but let me tell you, it's still a process, there are over thirty chapters past this point in the first draft. We are, unfortunately, saying goodbye to Ilima for the remainder of this fic. He's a good boy but this is not his story. Maybe I'll tell his someday (probably not, though--sorry about that, Ilima).
> 
> Also! You're going to see that the only overlap between Ash's team here and his canon Alola team are Pikachu (of course) and Rockruff, because those were the ones I knew about when I was planning this out. Sorry if you were attached to any of the others--I did put a lot of thought into the team he ends up with here, though, and I'd like to think they suit him.
> 
> And since I haven't said it yet here, comments and kudos are highly appreciated and make my heart go :')


	4. Definitely Not Friends(?)

Ash was already learning new things about Drew. One of those things was that he slept in budew-patterned pajama bottoms--the contrast against his plain gray nightshirt and serious expression, arms crossed defensively over his chest, silently daring Ash to make any comment on it, was almost comical.

The silent staring contest was getting uncomfortable, so Ash finally said, "I like your pants."

"Shut up," Drew replied flatly, going to his bed and disappearing under the covers. Some conversationalist he was.

"Goodnight to you too." Ash gave Drew one last look before retreating to his own bed, Pikachu getting comfortable at his side.

After a bit of silence, hoping Drew was still awake, Ash spoke up again. "Hey, Drew? I'm glad we're traveling together, really."

Drew was silent a while, and Ash thought he might be sleeping, but he finally said, "Why do you care so much?"

"It's nice to have company," Ash said plainly.

" _My_ company, though?"

Where was all that confidence Ash remembered? "Drew, are you okay?"

"Just fine." Drew's voice was curt, tired. " _Goodnight,_ Ash."

"'Night, Drew."

* * *

As they set out for Iki Town, Ash was clearly in high spirits, and Drew found himself warmed by the sight of it despite himself. That energy and enthusiasm reminded him of somebody.

"Hey, what's _that?_ " Ash took off running before Drew could figure out what he was referring to.

Drew shared a look with Roselia before the two of them went to see what Ash had taken off after.

They found him looking up at what appeared at first glance to be an ordinary palm tree, before Drew realized this palm tree had legs. And... was that a tail?

"It's like an exeggutor," Ash said, still looking up, "but… really, really tall."

Drew looked up and found that Ash was right; it definitely had the face--well, _faces_ \--of an exeggutor. "Huh. Come to think of it, a researcher I know mentioned that some pokémon take on different forms in other regions. This must be what the exeggutor here are like."

"Oh, yeah!" Ash's looked at Drew, brown eyes bright. "I battled a raticate and I've seen lots of rattata running around, and they're completely different than the ones in Kanto." He finally seemed to remember he had a pokédex.

_"Exeggutor, the coconut pokémon and the evolved form of exeggcute. A grass-and-dragon-type--"_

"A _what?_ " Drew burst out, then felt his face heat up when Ash gave him a curious look.

_"As it grew taller and taller, it outgrew its reliance on psychic powers, while within it awakened the power of the sleeping dragon."_

Ash looked up at it one more time. "So it's not just taller, it's a whole different type!" He turned to Drew with a grin. "Isn't this amazing? Alola is full of surprises!"

Drew's earlier outburst had rendered him unable to claim total nonchalance, but he nodded coolly as they continued on their way. "Odd that it's a dragon-type, though."

"I wonder what Iris would think of it," Ash mused. He seemed to belatedly realize Drew wouldn't know who that was. "She's a friend of mine from Unova, and she was training to be a dragon master last I heard from her."

"Unova?" He'd been to Unova too? Where _hadn't_ he been? "Do you just travel around the world making friends wherever you go or something?"

Ash tilted his head. "Do you… not make friends in new places?"

"Not often," Drew answered. "I have enough friends already and beyond that, my priority is my career. Making friends comes second to that."

"That sounds like a really lonesome way to live," Ash said. He was giving Drew a pitying look now, which was completely unnecessary.

"I don't need your pity, Ash." Drew found himself getting irritated and he wasn't sure exactly why. Was he getting defensive over this? "I'm not lonely. I have friends."

"I'm not pitying you, I'm just…" he trailed off, like he couldn't figure out how to complete the sentence. "You're not focusing on your career right now, so why don't you make some new friends here? Start with me." He went to stand in front of Drew, holding out a hand. "I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town."

Drew walked past him. "I know how to make friends, Ash. I just don't care to."

"Uh, okay." Ash caught up and fell back into step beside him. "Suit yourself."

They carried on a while longer, Ash occasionally breaking the silence to comment on some new sight or launch into a story about some adventure he'd been on (of which there were apparently many), Drew trying his best to follow Ash's enthusiastic train of thought. It seemed Drew was a magnet for boys who could talk his ear off, but that was fine--at least he didn't have to worry about keeping the conversation going.

* * *

Ash eventually suggested they break for lunch, which Drew agreed to. He was pleasantly surprised when Drew volunteered to cook, and delighted to learn Drew could cook well. After everyone had eaten, they didn't set back out yet--it was nice to just relax and enjoy the sunshine for a while.

Rockruff was growling playfully at Drew's absol, who seemed as aloof as its trainer. Pikachu and Roselia were engaged in some conversation nearby, chatting as amicably as if they'd known each other forever (and making Ash wonder what they were talking about). Drew's flygon and cherrim slept in the sun, and Drew was sitting near Flygon's head, absentmindedly scratching under his pokémon's chin. Cutiefly was investigating some flowers near Ash's feet, and curiously, Drew's butterfree had decided to rest on Ash's head.

"He picked that up from May's beautifly," Drew said when he noticed what his butterfree was doing, a bemused smile playing across his face. "I've never seen him do it with anyone except May and I, though. Huh."

Drew was actually making conversation--they were getting somewhere. "I used to have a butterfree of my own," Ash said. "But I released him so he could be with his mate. Maybe he and this one could be related?"

"You think so?"

"Anything is possible, right?" Ash did wonder about how Butterfree was doing out there sometimes.

Drew looked thoughtfully at his flygon. "I've never had to let a pokémon go before. That must be hard."

"It is," Ash admitted. "But if they'd be happier that way, it's for the best."

"I suppose you're right." Drew studied Ash with something new in his eyes--was that _respect?_ "You're really something, Ash."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, I am so sorry this took as long as it did. I have no excuses, I just had a lot on my mind and lost all sense of time and my own existence for a while. Then spent a couple days making little edits on this chapter until I was pretty much satisfied. Don't worry, I'm very much considering enlisting a beta reader to maybe reduce how much time I spend doing that (the second thing, not much anyone can do about the first I'm afraid).
> 
> Interesting little fact: this chapter wasn't in the first draft at all, I wrote it in completely from scratch because there was space to establish some things between the previous and next chapter and well, I wanted to use it. These boys have a ways to go, but here they make a little more progress (I think, I hope).
> 
> I'm about halfway through making revisions on the next chapter, so that should be up at some point in the semi-near future. These earlier chapters are going to take me longer to revise because due to being older they'll require more work to be presentable, updates should get progressively faster as long as life doesn't get in the way too much. Thanks for sticking with me, your support is highly appreciated!


	5. The First Grand Trial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last, it's here! I'm going to stop apologizing for delays because I can't promise that'll change, I have no schedule for this stuff. Shoutout to my friend Wendy (AKA RokettoMusashi) for offering to beta this--I'll have their help from here on out, which is great. The next chapter has also been finished and run by them, so that's most likely going to drop tomorrow evening.
> 
> Thanks for your continued support, it means the world to me!

It took another two and a half days to arrive in Iki Town, a sleepy little town with a warm, inviting atmosphere. In the heart of it was where Ash faced Kahuna Hala on a wooden stage--apparently the place all the island's ceremonies occurred, watched by their guardian deity.

Drew hadn't realized how important the trials actually were until this point. He'd been under the impression they were about the same as the gyms in most regions, but it seemed there was a cultural significance way beyond that--they weren't just a rite of passage for trainers hoping to compete in the region's league (did Alola even have a league?), they were a tribute to the gods Alola's culture honored. It made him wonder how and why Ash, who Drew was certain hailed from Kanto, had ended up taking them on. Would it be intrusive to ask?

Given that Ash was in the middle of giving commands to his cutiefly as they opposed Hala's makuhita, now probably wasn't the time for questions one way or another.

Drew had watched Ash's training and they had even sparred a couple times, but he still found himself fascinated by Ash's battling style. Ash didn't seem to plan ahead much, instead thinking on his feet, but Drew had definitely underestimated him initially--Ash was quick to realize the aggressive approach wouldn't work on his sturdy opponent and start taking advantage of Cutiefly's speed and incredibly small size instead. Unsurprising for someone whose partner was a pikachu, but still a sight to behold.

For all his goofing off, Ash was an impressive battler, and Drew couldn't help wondering what kind of coordinator he'd make. It was a thought he'd had about a few other people before--how could he not, when coordinating had been his life for so long?--but Ash was certainly an interesting one. He didn't have a coordinator's grace, but plenty of potential was there if he ever wanted to use it.

Cutiefly finally felled Hala's makuhita, and a crabrawler came out next. To Drew's amusement, Ash failed to suppress a shudder at the sight of it--no doubt reminded of the one that had chased him until he'd had to climb a tree on the way there. _That_ was a story Drew would hang onto.

Cutiefly was finally worn down after taking a few hard hits, and after murmuring some words of praise, Ash recalled Cutiefly. Next, Pikachu leaped off of his shoulder to take over.

Ash and his pikachu had apparently been a team for a good while even when Drew first met them all those years ago, and it showed. Much like Drew and his own partner, Roselia, the two battled as if they were one being--it felt almost like Ash's verbal commands were merely a courtesy to his opponent, trainer and pokémon understanding each other so well that words were unnecessary.

Hala was a skilled trainer in his own right, of course, but it wasn't a surprise when Ash won.

* * *

After Ash had accepted the fightinium Z from Hala, he turned to see Drew and Roselia approaching from the sidelines. Drew looked almost impressed. "Congratulations, Ash. Not a bad performance."

 _Not bad?_ That was all he had to say? Ash pushed aside his disappointment at the faint praise; he had won his first grand trial and Drew had given him a genuine compliment. This was a good day. "Thanks, Drew."

"It's getting dark," Hala observed. "Would you boys like to stay the night at my home?"

"I'd hate to impose--" Drew started just as Ash said, "Sure! Thanks, Hala!"

Hala gave them an amused look. "Let's go, then."

He started north and Ash followed, Drew following after a second's hesitation. "How's Alola been treating you two so far?"

"It's been great," Ash said. "Everyone is so nice and friendly, and there are so many awesome pokémon here."

Drew gave a small nod beside him. "It's a beautiful place. A lot like Hoenn, but with its own unique qualities."

"I'm pleased to hear you like it here," Hala said with a warm smile. "Have you tried mantine surfing?"

Nobody had told Ash about mantine surfing. "No, but that sounds fun!" He looked at Drew. "You want to try that before we head for Akala?"

Drew closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if preparing to dive underwater. "Sure, Ash."

That was one more thing to look forward to.

* * *

Hala led them to a guest bedroom and told them to make themselves at home, promising dinner would be soon (which Ash was very much looking forward to) and swiftly but kindly dismissing Drew's offer to help, then left.

"There's only one bed," Ash said. "I guess we'll have to--"

"No, no, no," Drew interjected, paling slightly. "I'm sleeping on the floor."

Ash didn't really understand why Drew had objected before he could finish the thought, but he was still struggling to understand a lot of things about Drew. The guy was an enigma. "Uh, okay." 

Pikachu hopped off Ash's shoulder and curled up on the bed. Drew turned away from Ash, suddenly becoming very interested in a window on the other side of the room. Roselia followed him to it.

Not for the first time, Ash got a feeling Drew's mind was somewhere else. Ash crossed the room to stand beside him. "So you keep Roselia out all the time now?"

Drew gave a curt nod. "The sunlight is good for her."

"And I bet you like having her company, too," Ash said. "I know I like having Pikachu out with me all the time. Roselia was your first pokémon, wasn't she?"

"That's right," Drew answered, expression softening. "I met her in my moms' garden when she was just a budew. Guess you could say we grew up together."

"That's sweet," Ash said, meaning it. "I got Pikachu from Professor Oak. You've heard of him, right?"

An amused look briefly crossed Drew's face. "I have. Doesn't he usually give beginning trainers bulbasaur, charmander, or squirtle, though?"

"Usually, yeah," Ash said, grinning sheepishly, "but I overslept and Pikachu was the only pokémon left when I got there. He wanted nothing to do with me at first, but we're best friends now."

Drew tilted his head. "I see. Sounds like you had a pretty rocky start."

"Yeah, you could say that," Ash conceded. "But it's been an incredible journey, hardships and all. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I bet you feel the same way about your journey, right?"

Drew studied him for a few moments, then looked thoughtfully out the window. There was a ghost of a smile on his face. "Yeah."

Wrapped up in fond memories, Drew almost seemed content. Beside him, Ash reflected on his own--he really had come a long way since he first left Pallet Town. To say things hadn't always been easy would be an understatement, but everything he and Pikachu had been through had brought them here and a million other places, and he couldn't be anything but grateful for that.


	6. Denial, Thy Name is Drew

Ash stood on a mantine's back, riding the waves without the slightest hint of fear or hesitation, while Drew had opted to sit on the sidelines with Roselia and Pikachu--it was entertaining enough just watching this spectacle. Ash had handed his hat over to Drew, asking Drew to hang onto it for him, and Drew had put it on as protection from both the sun and the risk of recognition. It felt odd--he wasn't used to wearing hats, given that he put too much effort into making his hair look its best to hide it.

Ash suddenly lost his balance, falling off the mantine's back and into the waves, and Drew felt his breath catch in his throat. Moments later Ash emerged, laughing and seemingly unharmed. Drew relaxed.

"These mantine are trained to catch their riders if they fall off," the surfing instructor, a pretty woman some years older than Drew, explained. "You don't have to worry about him."

"I wasn't," Drew said, hearing the note of defensiveness in his own voice and hoping she didn't notice.

She gave him a knowing smile. "Sure you weren't." She looked at him a second longer, more thoughtfully. "You know, you look familiar. Have I seen you someplace before?"

This, Drew was prepared for. "Not likely," he said, casually pulling the brim of Ash's hat a little lower, hoping to obscure his features without looking too suspicious. "I get that a lot."

She accepted that answer, heading off elsewhere and leaving Drew to sigh in relief. His relief was short lived as Ash returned ashore. Ash stroked the mantine for a few moments before running up to Drew, grinning. "Mantine surfing is great! You should try it!"

Drew shook his head. "I'd rather not." The idea of getting wet didn't particularly appeal to him, and he'd never been the strongest swimmer. Not that he'd ever tell Ash anything that implied he was scared--he was just cautious, and it wasn't worth the risk involved. "Besides, don't we have a ferry to catch soon?"

Realization dawned on Ash's face. "Oh, that's right! I completely lost track of time." He paused, seeming almost hesitant. "But do you think we've got time to get something to eat first? I'm starving."

"If you can find something quick, sure."

"I think there's a malasada shop near the port," Ash said. "That'd work, right?"

"If that's what you want to do," Drew answered. "I'll wait for you at the port, then."

Ash tilted his head. "You're not hungry?"

"I'm fine," Drew said. "You've worked up an appetite, I haven't." He had to hope Ash wouldn't question him further.

"If you're sure…" Ash looked at him for a second. "Oh, and can I have my hat back?"

"Oh. Right." Drew handed it over and Ash put it back on.

"Well, see you at the port," Ash said pleasantly. "Don't take off somewhere without me, okay?"

"Of course." Drew wouldn't admit it, but he was beginning to enjoy Ash's company. That boundless energy kept things interesting, and it was pretty nice having a sparring partner to keep his battling skills sharp.

And maybe, just maybe, he was growing a little fond of Ash himself.

* * *

Upon getting off the boat, Ash looked around for Drew. He was sure Drew had boarded with him, but shortly after it departed, he'd turned and Drew was gone. Knowing him, Ash figured he'd gone off to find some quiet and solitude and it was probably best to leave him be, but now they needed to meet back up.

"Chu!" Pikachu pointed into the crowd. Drew was among them, looking slightly dazed, but snapped to attention when Ash called his name. He headed for them, letting out Roselia again.

"There you are," Ash greeted him warmly, ruffling his hair and earning a glare that had no real bite to it.

"Well, we're here." Drew's voice sounded strained. Ash realized he looked pale, too. "What now?"

"Are you okay?" Ash asked. "You don't look too good right now."

Drew pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes closed. "Just a headache. I'll live."

"It's okay if you need to rest."

"I'll be fine," Drew insisted, though he didn't look fine.

"Hey, it's all right." Ash rested a hand on Drew's shoulder and he didn't pull away, which was either a good sign or a really bad one. "Come on, let's find somewhere to stay until you're feeling better. You look miserable."

Drew hesitated, then gave a resigned nod. His stubbornness had worn out already. "I think I know a place. Follow me."

He found the energy to lead the way to an impressive white building, where he stopped as if to let Ash take it in.

"That's a _hotel?_ "

"Yep," Drew confirmed, a weak smile flickering across his face. "The Tide Song Hotel."

He headed for the entrance and Ash followed.

While Ash was trying to take in everything on the inside, still having trouble believing _this_ was a _hotel_ , Drew talked to a person behind the counter with easy confidence. Ash was looking up at the ceiling when he felt Drew nudge him.

With a quick apology Drew didn't respond to, he let Drew lead the way some more until they were in a room-- _their hotel room_.

It was a good sized room, with two very comfortable looking beds, and the windows had a view of the beach and vast ocean outside. Drew didn't take any time to admire any of it, though, instead slipping off his shoes and flopping facedown onto a bed.

Poor guy. Ash walked up to him and lightly put a hand on his back. "That's it, buddy. Just sleep it off, and we can get to doing stuff again once you feel better."

"Don't patronize me," Drew mumbled in response without raising his head, voice muffled. Regardless, he was snoring softly within minutes.

Ash covered him up with a blanket and went to draw the curtains closed, but noticed Roselia watching her trainer with a concerned expression. Being careful of the thorns--he'd seen what her poison point could do in battle--Ash stroked her head. "I'm sure he'll be okay."

* * *

Drew woke up disoriented and under a blanket. Had Ash done that? That was considerate of him.

Pushing himself into a sitting position and shaking off his post-nap daze, he looked around. The lights were off and the curtains drawn--the main source of light in the room was a lamp, which Ash was sitting next to, studying a map with Pikachu and Roselia beside him. He was saying something too softly for Drew to make out the words--either planning a route or making some other conversation with the pokémon, Drew guessed--and Drew felt a warm flicker of gratitude.

"Hey, Ash."

At the sound of Drew's voice, Ash looked up and smiled. "Oh, good, you're awake. Feeling any better?"

"Substantially." Everything was still a little fuzzy, but his headache and nausea had subsided and he felt more like himself. He stood and stretched to ease the stiffness in his shoulders. "How long was I out?"

Ash seemed to think for a moment. "About an hour, maybe?"

An hour? Well, he'd done worse. "And you were in here the whole time? 

Ash nodded. "It wouldn't feel right to leave you alone when you weren't feeling well," he said earnestly. "Hey, mind if I let some light back in now that you're up?"

"Go ahead." Drew watched with amusement and what might've been a hint of affection as Ash jumped to his feet and ran to pull the curtains back, like he couldn't wait to see the view again. "You know, Ash, you're a good friend."

Ash looked at him, wide-eyed and mouth open. Then a grin spread across his face.

Drew blinked, both in confusion and his eyes adjusting to the light. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You called me your friend," Ash said.

Oh.

"I guess I did." What was he supposed to say? How was he supposed to react to Ash being so happy to be called a friend, or the sudden realization he considered Ash a friend? "There's really no need to make a big deal about it, though."

Ash was still smiling. What a dork.

Drew's dork, apparently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be the last chapter for a bit--most of my creative energy is going into Whumptober these days. Be on the lookout for that stuff when October rolls around!


End file.
